You asked this a while ago and I never answered. They're rote drills, but meant to give students some conceptual "vocabulary" to work with. What's the right distance I need to be at to kick? Punch? Clinch? What's a closed or open stance? What techniques can I do from there? How can I cover distance quickly if I'm outside of striking radius? How far do I actually need to move back to dodge a technique, and still remain close enough to quickly come back and counterstrike? That's the kind of stuff they're learning by doing the drills, even if they're not always aware of it.
Curriculum and tests
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You asked this a while ago and I never answered. They're rote drills, but meant to give students some conceptual "vocabulary" to work with. What's the right distance I need to be at to kick? Punch? Clinch? What's a closed or open stance? What techniques can I do from there? How can I cover distance quickly if I'm outside of striking radius? How far do I actually need to move back to dodge a technique, and still remain close enough to quickly come back and counterstrike? That's the kind of stuff they're learning by doing the drills, even if they're not always aware of it.
Having been an instructor in all three at one time or another, Rank Through Tests, Rank Through Merit and No Belts, it's kind of the same thing - just different.
If I was teaching you to speak French in those three ways, the goal is you speaking (and obviously understanding, reading and writing) French. Not just in class, but walking around Paris.
If I was teaching you to speak French in those three ways, the goal is you speaking (and obviously understanding, reading and writing) French. Not just in class, but walking around Paris.
Balrog
Master of Arts
ATA has a standard curriculum for each rank, but school owners can add stuff if we want. There is a little bit of rote memorization: the student has to know how many moves in the form, what move numbers the kihaps are on and what techniques they do when they kihap, that sort of thing. But sometimes, as they are doing the form, I'll step in front with a board and they have to break it on the next move, whether it's a kick, block, strike, whatever.
On the Black Belt testing, we always come up with an "instructor's challenge". We try to find something that the student might have difficulty doing. It might be multiple sparring, it might be an advanced board break that they haven't practiced, etc. It's nice if they are successful at the challenge, but what is more important (and what we are looking for) is that they approach the challenge with confidence and a can-do attitude.
On the Black Belt testing, we always come up with an "instructor's challenge". We try to find something that the student might have difficulty doing. It might be multiple sparring, it might be an advanced board break that they haven't practiced, etc. It's nice if they are successful at the challenge, but what is more important (and what we are looking for) is that they approach the challenge with confidence and a can-do attitude.
MadMartigan
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I just stumbled upon this thread and was having a good read... then it just suddenly stopped back in 2019. Since I'm late to the party, let's try to get it back up and running.
- Floorwork (fundamental movement).
This is increasingly more complicated sequences of kicks/blocks/punches moving up and down the floor. While there is an element of rote memorization; what is being evaluated are the technical details of individual techniques (as they get more and more tired).
An example of 1 of our Yellow Belt sequences is a sliding forward jab, followed by a sliding backwards snapping down block, then a high turning kick with the rear leg. The student's stances, chambering positions, blocking trajectory, posture, knee position, and snap back are just some of the areas being examined.
- After they are good and tired from floorwork, it's time for patterns.
Here they are still being evaluated on stance, posture, movement between positions, power, memory etc...
Then we generally move into sparring/self defense. The expectation is that the student will use all the techniques from their current and former levels dynamically against a live opponent. This shows their understanding of how to use these techniques at their appropriate range, and not just to rely on their best couple bread and butter moves.
They only accepted 1st Form students once per year. We started off separate from the main group until the basics were learned (a couple months).
Afterward, when a newby was paired with a seasoned student, they worked basics. When 2 seasoned guys were paired up, they ramped it up.
The instructors knew which students were at 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Form. When you showed enough competence at your current level, they would start teaching you the next. This was completely at their discretion and expertise... not to be requested.
In the end, I have no issue with any of these methods. I've periodically even thought that my TKD school might benefit from ditching the whole testing side of things... but that extra element of stage fright is too important for me to let it go.
This is how we grade in my school. Our primary focus (especially through the color belt ranks) is correct technique and sparring competence. The 3 main pillars in each color bely test are:
- Floorwork (fundamental movement).
This is increasingly more complicated sequences of kicks/blocks/punches moving up and down the floor. While there is an element of rote memorization; what is being evaluated are the technical details of individual techniques (as they get more and more tired).
An example of 1 of our Yellow Belt sequences is a sliding forward jab, followed by a sliding backwards snapping down block, then a high turning kick with the rear leg. The student's stances, chambering positions, blocking trajectory, posture, knee position, and snap back are just some of the areas being examined.
- After they are good and tired from floorwork, it's time for patterns.
Here they are still being evaluated on stance, posture, movement between positions, power, memory etc...
Then we generally move into sparring/self defense. The expectation is that the student will use all the techniques from their current and former levels dynamically against a live opponent. This shows their understanding of how to use these techniques at their appropriate range, and not just to rely on their best couple bread and butter moves.
In my BJJ experience (not as a teacher), this was how it was done. No formal test... just your instructor watching tou over time and then one day saying, 'put on a x belt'. Seemed to work just fine.
The Wing Chun club I attended a few years ago did just this. They had a structured curriculum... just no belts (this was a runners and t shirts on a cement floor, leave limping or at least bruised every class kinda place).
They only accepted 1st Form students once per year. We started off separate from the main group until the basics were learned (a couple months).
Afterward, when a newby was paired with a seasoned student, they worked basics. When 2 seasoned guys were paired up, they ramped it up.
The instructors knew which students were at 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Form. When you showed enough competence at your current level, they would start teaching you the next. This was completely at their discretion and expertise... not to be requested.
In the end, I have no issue with any of these methods. I've periodically even thought that my TKD school might benefit from ditching the whole testing side of things... but that extra element of stage fright is too important for me to let it go.
isshinryuronin
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This is how it was done in the old days, even before formal belt ranks were instituted. But then, classes were private or semi-private and the master was directly involved in each student's instruction. I actually received my blue belt this way and was my most rewarding promotion. With larger groups, especially in structured organizations, this method would seem to be impractical for a variety of reasons.
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